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Nervous System Summary Note G10

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11 views3 pages

Nervous System Summary Note G10

"Personal Statement - A reflective piece highlighting academic goals, life experiences, and aspirations for higher education."

Uploaded by

muludejen13
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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W#7

Unit 3

Human biology and health

3.1 The nervous system


 Human body has two d/t ways of coordination and control.
 The nervous system is involved in all the most rapid responses. It involves the passage of
electrical impulses around the body.
 The endocrine (hormonal) system involves the movement of chemical messages around the body.
It is rather slower than the nervous system but is responsible for the co-ordination of much of the
functioning of the body.

How nervous co-ordination works?


Sense organ → afferent neuron → central nervous system → efferent neurons → muscles

 Neurons are the basic unit of your nervous system. They are extremely specialized for the
transmission of electrical impulses.
 They have a cell body that contains the cell nucleus, mitochondria, and other organelles.
 Dendrites tree-like branches from nerve cell bodies that receive signals from other nerve cells at
synapses.
 Axon long process from nerve cell that carries the nerve impulse.
 Myelin sheath fatty insulating sheath that grows around many nerves allowing nerve impulse travels
as fast as possible.
 Neurons are also irritable– which means they react to the world around them – and they can conduct
electricity.
 This is the result of the structure of the axon. The axon membrane changes its permeability to
sodium ions to create an electrical impulse.
 Sensory receptors nerve endings that can sense stimuli, e.g. pressure, pain, temperature, and start a
nerve impulse that sends this information back to the brain
 Affector (afferent) neuron that sends impulses from organs to the spinal cord and brain. They are
also called sensory neurons
 Effector (efferent) neuron that sends impulses from the brain and spinal cord to organs. They are
also called motor neurons
 Nerves are bundles of neurons.
- Some carry only effector neurons and are known as effector nerves,
- some carry only affector neurons and are known as affector nerves,
- Others carry a mixture of effector and affector neurons and are called mixed nerves.
 Action potential a short-term change in the electrical potential on the surface of a cell when it is
stimulated
 Each nerve impulse is a minute electrical event that is the result of charge differences across
the membrane of the axon. The wave of positive charge inside the axon when the neuron is
stimulated is known as the action potential.

 Synapse the junction between two neurons (axon-to-dendrite) or between a neuron and a muscle.
 The electrical impulses that travel along your neurons have to cross these synapses, but an
electrical impulse cannot leap the gap. So when an impulse arrives at the end of a neuron,
chemicals are released.
 Neurotransmitters chemicals that transmit nerve impulses across synapses.
 These chemical transmitters (neurotransmitters) cross the synapse and are picked up by
special receptor cells in the end of the next neuron. In turn this starts up an electrical impulse,
which then travels along your next neuron.
 Neuromuscular junctions are the junction between an axon terminal of a motor neuron and a muscle fiber.
The central nervous system
 The central nervous system consists of two main regions – the brain and the spinal cord.
 Brain is a delicate mass of nervous tissue with the consistency of thick yoghurt.
 It is enclosed in membranes and protected by the bones of your skull in a space known as the cranium.
 The spinal cord runs out from your brain down your body. It is encased and protected by the
vertebrae making up your spine.
 The nerves that run to and from the CNS make up your peripheral nervous system. The nerves that
come out of the brain are known as the cranial nerves.
- They go mainly to structures in your head and neck, like your eyes, tongue and jaws.
 The majority of the nerves come out of the spinal cord and these are known as the spinal nerves.
-They go to the arms, the legs and the trunk (the rest of your body).
 Grey matter areas in the brain and spinal cord that consist of unmyelinated nerve cells.
 White matter – the axons that lead into and out of the brain.
Fore brain

Fore brain -the large frontal area of the human brain.


The human cerebrum is so large that it appears to envelop the rest of the brain.
 It is split into right and left cerebral hemispheres, which are connected by a tract called the corpus
callosum.
 Cerebrum coordinates the activities like speech, memory, intelligence and thought.
 The thalamus acts as a gateway to and from the cortex. It receives sensory and motor inputs from the
body and also receives feedback from the cortex.
 The hypothalamus controls the endocrine system by sending signals to the pituitary gland. Among
other functions, the hypothalamus is the body’s thermostat—it makes sure the body temperature is
kept at appropriate levels. Consists of center for regulation of hunger, thirst and emotional reactions.
 Neurons within the hypothalamus also regulate circadian rhythms, sometimes called sleep cycles.
The mid brain
 Consists of optic lobe which is a center for vision
 Acts as a communication center between forebrain and hindbrain
The hind brain
 The cerebellum (cerebellum = “little brain”) sits at the base of the brain on top of the brainstem.
-The cerebellum controls balance and aids in coordinating movement and learning new motor
tasks. The cerebellum of birds is large compared to other vertebrates because of the
coordination required by flight.
 Medulla oblongata – control activities like respiration, breathing, circulation and salivation.
Spinal cord
 The spinal cord has a much simpler structure than your brain. The grey matter (cell bodies and short
relay neurons) are in the middle and the white matter (axons) are on the outside.
- At regular intervals along the spinal cord there are entrance points for affector nerves bringing
information into the CNS and exit points for effector nerves carrying instructions from the
CNS.
 Mental illness- describe a wide variety of disorders and diseases, which are diagnosed as mental
illnesses because they involve thought processes, emotional disturbances and/or behavior that are
considered abnormal.
-can be the result of an imbalance of the chemical transmitters in your brain
-it can also can be caused by the use of illegal drugs,

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